A data center is a facility utilized to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage subsystems (the portion of a computer system that provides storage). Data centers typically include power supplies, data communication connections, environmental controls, security, and redundant components. Data centers serve a variety of purposes including running applications and storing and archiving data.
Data centers require significant amounts of power and cooling. Owners and architects of data centers frequently look for ways to reduce TCO (total cost of ownership) for data centers.